The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-01-15

You drive yourself, and the boy OF Srl
who is to take the horse and vehicle back
stands or sits or hangs behind. He will
drive from behind if you desire. The way
the Norwegian horses have of going at a
breakneck pace down hill reminds me Of
our boyish expression, "lickety cut" You
can ordinarily make about eight miles an
hour, including a change of horses, if you
are not detained by the fact that SO many
travellers have gone before you that they
have exhausted the supply of horses, in
which case you may have to wait some
hours.
"The charge for vehicles in Norway is
very reasonable. Stations are established
at distances of about eight or ten miles
These stations are of two classes-one is a
fast and the other an ordinary station. All
the fast stations there must always be kept
specified number of horses ready for
travellers, except when they are in use by
preceding travellers. At the slow stations
no horses are required to be kept, but time
is given to send out to the farmers near and
bring them in. There is, however, system
which is not much used by which you may
send notification ahead and have horses
ready even at the slow stations. In theory
all the horses are furnished by the farmers.
This is required at price SO low that 1t is
regarded as a tax upon them, but since
travelling has increased so much arrange
ments seem to have been made by which
the keeper of the station assumes the
farmers burden and furnishes the horses.
They are also required to furnish avehicle,
but this obligation only extends to the
rough country cariole of two wheels, with
only seat for one, and without springs.
In fact, however, the vehicles furnished are
quite comfortable At fast station you
paw less than cents kilometer for the
horse, harness, and vehicle, and the boy to
take it back. If you get stolkjaerre,
which has seats for two, you pay about I
cents. Sixteen kilometers are equal to ten
miles
'The amount Ufbaggage allowed is small,
yet sufficient for an ordinary travellers use.
In the stolkjaerre it goes under the seat,
where there is plenty of room. In a cariole
it is fastened behind, and the skyd, which
is the name of the boy who goes along to
take the vehicle back, rides or stands upon
it. You can always carry in a cariole a
small parcel-on the floor between your
legs-and fasten something to the dash
board, or what takes the place Of it. 1t IS
astonishing how enduring the Norwegians
horses are. They are tough, small, sure
footed, good-natured animals. who will start
out at trot and keep itup 30 miles without
stopping, going that distancein four hours.
The harness is of the simplest possible
make. There are no traces, even when
YOU have two horses, but always shafts, to
which the harness is fasteied by pegs.
There is an arch of wood over the horses
head, through rings in which the reins
pass, and which is arranged so as to take
much of the weight from the collar. The
reins are rope or twisted leather.
"The hotels, or inns, are comfortable,
with no elegance, but always, without ex-
ception, clean, and the food is fair. In
these respects Norway has made great i'm
provement within few years, and improve
ments are going on in increased ratio. The
scenery in riding in Norway, much of it,
is exceedingly beautiful. lean imagine no
more beautiful ride than that of the four
or five days trip from Bergen to Christiana.
oThe Province of Thelemark, in the
southern part of Norway, presents more OF
interest in the way of picturesque national
costume, still worn by the whole cummu-
nifty, than any other portion of Europe that
I know of. The Norwegians seem greatly
devoted to silverware, ornaments, and jew
elry. They wear great many Of them,
and then hand them down from generation
Ia generation. You find in their houses
silverware, spoons, &C., articles which have
been handed down from father to son for
centuries sometimes, on which they are apt
to roughly engrave the names OF successive
owners. These articles of late years find
their way largely into the stores in the chief
towns where they are greatly sought by
travellers. Though there is SUSPICION
that they are new manufactured expressly
for travellers, it is said that for many years
the chief supplies of these articles were
derived from peasants who sold them in
order to obtain means of emigrating to
America. The Norwegians, too, are very
much given to fine wood carving, and you
find in many Norwegian house, particu-
larly in Thelemark, chests, cabinets, and
beds that would set crazy collector OF
antiques.
"Whether you sail along the coast or ride
in carioles over the Norwegian roads, there
is constantly something that is curious and
interesting presenting itself. The sea seems
alive with fish, particularly cod. You
meet quantities of curious vessels sailing
from the North to Bergen, the great fish
depot. with their holds full of dried fish
and the decks piled up some fifteen or
twenty feet above the bulwarks with what
looks at distance like boards, but which
on approaching you find to be the dried
cod piled so high that boom is rugged to
the rudder and the steersman sits high up
so as to see over the dried fish. Herring
are got in fabulous quantities, but at diff
ferent season of the year from that when l
was there.